Isshiki Iroha and the home tutor
by EmptyL-kun
Summary: Isshiki Iroha is now in her third year of high school. Despite studying hard for exams every day, she became increasingly frustrated at the rate of progress. So, at the recommendation of her friend, she decided to try enlist the services of a home tutor. And the tutor who showed up at her house was none other than a certain Senpai...
1. Chapter 1

_**Mandatory disclaimer : I do not own Oregairu. And to be perfectly honest, the idea for this 'fanfiction' is so heavily sourced from a certain Japanese fanfiction that you might as well call it a translation. Though not a very good one - heck, I don't even know much Japanese. In fact I considered it such a huge disservice to the original author to call it a translation that I decided against asking them for permission to 'translate' it. Several key points will be heavily altered.  
**_

 _ **Well, whatever.**_

 _ **TL;DR I am a terrible writer and an even worse human being. Heh... almost sounded proud of myself for a moment there.**_

 _ **Who knows, this might actually help me come up with my own ideas in the future.**_

* * *

 **[~ Iroha POV ~]**

"OK, that's enough for today!"

I promptly closed the covers of a reference book while stretching my back.

Just two months after becoming a third-year in April, I, Isshiki Iroha, am at my desk at home preparing for my upcoming examinations.

"Haaa… if only I could return to a year ago."

I was already sick and tired of studying.

Up until recently, I had considered university entrance exams to be an inconsequential event occurring far off into the future.

Under normal circumstances, the preparation wasn't supposed to be this difficult.

Realistically, when setting your target university, you would usually pick one that best suited your academic ability, in such a way that you'd anticipate needing minimal effort to pass their exams.

However, my present circumstances meant that I was aiming for entry to a university at a level far above what I would have normally chosen for myself.

"Yosh! Time to eat the cream puffs I bought on the way back from school!"

Eating sweets after completing my revision each evening, this had become a recent pastime of mine.

...Gaining weight? What's that?

"Nnn! Delicious!"

Actually, even now, as I blissfully placed my left hand to my cheek, I was briefly reviewing my flash cards. Such things had become routine to me.

Finishing off a cream puff, brushing my teeth, going to bed.

And opening one of the photos saved in my mobile.

The photo that I had once taken together with that unsuspecting student.

I drift off to sleep after viewing the photo plenty of times.

"Good night, Senpai…"

* * *

When morning arrived I reviewed the English words I had learned yesterday, whilst eating my breakfast.

In the train I read the book on classical grammar.

...

 _I cannot waste any time._

And take out the reference book from my bag, flipping through it on my way to school.

Two voices greeted me from behind at the front gate.

"Iroha ohayou! … whoa, you're studying today too! Are you properly resting your body?"

"Sou da yo Iroha. Are you sure you're getting enough sleep?"

The names of the two are Hayakawa Haruka and Shinozaki Ayane.

We had been assigned to the same class when I was a freshman.

And by sheer coincidence, we had all been in the same class for three consecutive years.

"Nnn, I think yesterday I had about four hours' worth?"

"Ehh?! That little!? Yesterday I slept for about 11 hours?"

"No, that much is probably unnecessary. ...But as expected, 4 hours is still too little. Aren't you in bad shape?"

"Un, my body's fine. Well, I should be able to pay attention in class…"

I've said it many times before, but it's quite high level, the university I'm aiming for.

...

 _To think that Senpai was actually that intelligent…_

"Our Iroha is aiming for such a prestigious university ne~"

"At that time I was really surprised when Iroha suddenly exclaimed, 'I'm aiming for a national university!'... though I heard that it's a different national university from the one Hayama-senpai went to? Weren't you aiming to get into the same institution as him in the past?"

"Nn, seems like some people had been thinking that" I muttered distractedly, as I sat down at my desk.

Looks like the time for first period had already arrived while we had been talking.

* * *

If I do say so myself, the current student me is not someone to be messed with. Seriously paying attention to the classes, time passed quickly and it soon became after-school hours.

"Iroha~ Let's go home together~"

"Ah, un! I'm on my way!"

I packed up and rushed to catch up with Ayane.

It's just the two of us today, it seems like Haruka has cram school.

"Always going home to study, haven't you ever considered attending a cram school or anything?

"Cram school huh...? But there aren't really any cram schools in the neighbourhood so it'd take a lot of time and effort to get to one..."

"Aaah, of course that'd be so. I had the same reasoning, but as an alternative I've been having a home tutor come to my house you know?"

"Tutor?"

"Sou! At first it was just one-on-one at my house, but now it's changed to become more of a group tuition session!"

"Aah, that must be nice."

"Deshou deshou! Ah, also…"

"Wait a sec, what's with this hesitant tone of voice?"

"E, eetou… sono… there's also a discount involved if you recommend their services to an acquaintance. Ahaha."

"So that was your true motive!"

"Nn, no, but I really do recommend it! As expected, self-study isn't as fun!"

Whilst partaking in such chatter, we had already arrived at the station.

Since Ayane and I took different trains, it was here that we went our separate ways.

...

And so, whilst riding the train home, in my hand I held the home tuition pamphlet.

 _…I got swept along by Ayane's pace._

Though, as she said, it really does get boring always studying by yourself.

"Uun, what should I do about this…

...well for now, how about I just discuss the matter with Kaa-san?"

I muttered to myself.

* * *

 _ **Chapter notes**_

 _ **Hope you liked it. If you didn't then, well, sorry, I'm really new to this stuff.  
**_

 _ **I'm always conflicted with regards to how much to localize and how much to preserve in moon-speak. Toriaezu, it'll mostly be the honorifics that I keep.**_ _ **... well, I say 'always', but honestly this is the first time that I'm attempting to translate a passage (or anything, really) from JP to ENG.**_

 _ **I was originally just going to try write an Iroha-centric fanfiction about misunderstandings between Orimoto Kaori and Hachiman (cue the cliche "I've been wondering this for a while, but what's your relationship with him/her?"), but that became super difficult. So I settled for leeching off someone else's work instead. Hilarious.**_

 _ **Regardless of how critical the reviews (if any) might be, I intend to follow through with all 17 chapters, and possibly continue from there. Unless I have grossly violated some ethical code on this site.**_

 _ **For anyone interested, the original fanfiction is by a user named 煌弥 on a certain website. Apparently I can't post links in this so you'll have to make do with that.**_ _ **  
**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**This one's a fairly short chapter. Don't expect releases to always be this frequent. Even though I'm technically not writing from scratch, it still takes me a while to make sense of the sentences, and then after that, even more time to make sure things are structured at a passable level.**_

 _ **In this chapter we get a bit more insight about our favourite loner's circumstances. From what I can tell though, for the remaining chapters it's largely Iroha-centric, so there won't be much POV-switching in the future.**_

* * *

 **[~ Iroha POV ~]**

The moment I got back home, I went straight to my room and studied in earnest until it was time for dinner.

Even though I had become accustomed to such a schedule it by now, it was still by no means an easy task.

At dinnertime, I tried discussing the idea of a home tutor with my parents.

"Tutor? Ara, why not?" [Mother]

"Recently, I've seen you working really hard, Iroha. Do as you wish." [Father]

 _Eh, the idea was so easily accepted!?_

 _Also, wouldn't there normally be more deliberation, especially on the the issue of tuition fees?!_

How should I put it, I myself had only been toying with the idea in my head, but the atmosphere here was such that it was already set in stone...

...well, since it had come to this, I guess I should at least try it out.

* * *

Once the decision to proceed was made, things progressed fairly quickly.

Otou-san completed an application form over the internet, and some people from the tuition company came over to explain how the system worked.

Afterwards, when I informed Ayane of the decision over the phone, she seemed very elated.

You really wanted the recommendation discount that much huh…

...are you absolutely certain that it wasn't your main reason for suggesting this whole thing to me?

* * *

 **[~ Hachiman POV ~]**

"Haah…" I sighed, while reflecting on my pitiful current state of affairs.

I, Hikigaya Hachiman, am presently searching for a suitable part-time job.

No, I have not had a sudden change of heart. Absolutely not. No way that would be the case.

Fundamentally, my life's ambition is still to become a full-time house husband.

Naturally, one might question: Why, then, is the so-called monster of logic currently using his laptop to navigate numerous job search websites?

...

I had just been settling into a much sought-after life of solitude at university, fully enjoying the newfound freedom that came with it.

That is, until last month...

My damned father had phoned me with the news that circumstances had changed and he had decided there was a need to decrease my allowance, at least until the end of the year.

I frantically confirmed with the bank, that the amount I had been given this month was only just enough to cover the bare minimum of food expenses.

 _Eh, what is this? Is Hachiman going to die?_

 _At this young age, I will die a solitary death at home?_

Well, actually the gas, electricity, and water utility bills were still handled by my parents.

To be perfectly honest, if I contested the decision, would I be able to win the argument? Probably not.

Even so, the news had come as a complete surprise to me.

And thus, I was looking for a part-time job in order to protect my life.

 _Damn, what should I do… working in the service industry isn't exactly ideal..._

...

I was completely unable to find a suitable job.

In the first place, the majority of outlets with part-time vacancies for students are businesses operating primarily in the service industry, such as restaurants.

As I thought, society is really unkind to those who shy away from interpersonal communication.

"Is there no job that's for me… not even one job that doesn't involve the service industry…?"

After ten minutes of staring at my computer screen, whilst muttering such a stupid thing.

"…a tutor, huh."

* * *

And so, several days later, the time had finally come for the first home tuition session.

 **[~ Iroha POV ~]**

I am currently, together with my mother, awaiting the arrival of the home tuition teacher.

"It's such a relief that they were able to find someone suitable to help you out, Iroha. Though, it seems that it's a boy? And a first-year university student at that."

"Really? Lucky! Them being a boy makes them a lot easier to handle~"

"That's true." she grins.

I think the black part of me was definitely inherited from my mother.

"Come to think of it, did you ever tell me the name of the tuition teacher?"

"Hmm? I still hadn't told you, Iroha? Well... if I'm remembering it correctly, his name was something like Hik-" [Ding-dong]

The rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"Awawawa, do, doushiyou. They've arrived…"

"What's with this sudden nervousness. Didn't you say yourself that they'd be easy to handle? Hora, why don't you go let them in?"

"U, un."

I said, while trying to control my body that was trembling nervously, and headed to the front door.

* * *

 _ **Chapter notes**_

 _ **Thanks for the fairly non-negative reviews. Some replies:**_

 _ **ImaNukeYourFace: **_

_**Yo ho, everyone knows a pirate's life is free~**_

 _ **Hmm, that wasn't actually my intention with that last paragraph, it's still Iroha-POV. It's kind of to do with the way it was originally phrased, something like "a single person on the train muttered...", I wasn't sure how to rephrase it. Well, I hope that this chapter makes it clear anyway that it wasn't any foreshadowing of 8man's circumstances. Might go back and revise that bit later on.**_

 _ **Guest (on use of Japanese): **_

_**While I appreciate the feedback, I'll probably be leaving in various words/phrases that I believe are used frequently enough in anime for most people to be aware of their meaning. To be honest I'm not really sure how to localize some of these phrases without them sounding weird.**_

 _ **Anyway, next chapter is the much awaited reunion of senpai and kouhai. Probably not today, possibly tomorrow, we shall have to see.**_

 _ **On a side note, the original work is kind of on hiatus as of October 2015. So unfortunately/fortunately, 17 chapters won't actually be bringing any closure to the story. Will have to see if at that point I'll be able to provide a worthy continuation. The author has apparently been considering a rewrite, but I haven't seen any sign of that yet.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Seems like there's been quite a bit of interest. Found it amusing how one or two reviews referred to me as "author-san", since, well... you know.**_

 _ **I suppose it's okay...  
**_

 _ **There hasn't really been anyone complaining outright that they were unable to understand the story due to the random bits of Japanese, so I've kept things as they are. I'll sort out the issue with Western/Japanese naming conventions, though. If it does get to the point that too many people complain, then I'll definitely revise the chapters.**_

 _ **Either way, I should probably point out, in case some people haven't figured it out:"Okaa-san" is used to refer to one's mother. (It's used a lot in this chapter.)**_

 _ **Err, and 'senpai'= upperclassman, 'kouhai'=underclassman?**_

 _ **Anyway, onto Chapter 3. Everything from here on out is Irohasu's POV.**_

* * *

 _ **[~ Iroha POV ~]**_

I took a deep breath in front of the entrance, and forced a smile onto my face.

Yosh, let's go. Act natural. The usual me.

Having readied my resolve, I opened the door.

"I, Ira'hyai" **_(NOTE: She's trying to say Irasshai/Welcome. Honestly, how would this be expressed in English? Wer'rum?)_**

-I stumbled.

 _What was thaaaaat?!_

No, really, what did I just say?

I've definitely made myself out to be some strange child…

"N-n-nice to meet you, uh, er, Isshiki-san was it? It would seem that I have been assigned the responsibility of being your home tutor."

 _Hmm? There was no such reaction to my slip-up?_

 _Actually, it seemed that the other party was also stuttering slightly?_

That being said, from where have I heard this voice before…

"My name is Hikigaya."

"HUHH!?"

"Fuaaa!?"

When I let out a loud cry of astonishment, Hikigaya-san … senpai let out a funny voice.

"Se, senpai?"

"… O-oh, if it isn't Isshiki. What are you doing in a place like this?"

"A place like this?! Th-this is my house!"

"Haaah? … Ah, come to think of it, wasn't Isshiki the family name of the student I'd be in charge of."

"Didn't you say so yourself a short while ago?"

"Uh, well, you see, on my way here, I was very focused on making sure I had my introduction prepared correctly. My head had completely filtered out everything else, so I hadn't been thinking too hard about other things."

"No, there isn't really a need to state such a reason so proudly…"

Even I could tell that my voice was higher-pitched than normal.

The true reason for which I had been aiming for a particular university, was to chase after a certain person.

And that certain person, is undeniably this Hikigaya-senpai.

It was Senpai who had made me come realize that I too wanted something genuine.

Initially, I had thought of him as nothing more but a helpful senpai to have around. However, I began to accept those genuine feelings that I had been repressing, and they gradually grew large enough to the point that I finally realized I was in love.

This wasn't the first time that I had taken a liking to someone of the opposite sex, but, when I thought about it, that other incident was more of a "This person seems pretty alright?" sort of feeling, something like that.

However, it is likely that, Senpai was the first person I had truly fallen in love with from the bottom of my heart.

"E, eto, ano…"

In the face of such an unexpected reunion for which I had come completely unprepared, I was stammering in such a way.

"Oh, that person standing behind you seems to be a close relative of yours?"

Haaa!? Is that so, there had been someone other than Senpai and me here?

As I timidly looked behind,

"Hmmm? Just what kind of relationship do you have with Hikigaya-kun? Iroha-chan?" *grin*

With the look of a child having discovered a new plaything, standing there was my mother with a huge smile on her face.

* * *

We were led into the living room by my mother.

Senpai and I sat down as meekly as a cat, and I was tasked with answering my mother's questions.

Here, even though it is my house…

"Is that so… Hikigaya-kun, you frequently provided Iroha with support for her student council work ne~. Thank you very much, for all the help you have given to my daughter."

"N-no, it's fine, after all, it was my partly my fault that she accepted the role of student council president."

From a short while ago it now felt like these two were having their own conversation.

Here, even though it is my house… (second time)

"Ah, we'll prepare some sweets and drinks. Iroha, please help out as well."

As she said that, Okaa-san brought me out of the living room.

And, immediately, once Senpai had completely disappeared from sight,

"Nenene! It kind of seems to me that Iroha likes Hikigaya-kun!" *sparkle*

She appears… to be sparkling very brightly.

 _Of course_ this person would have a lot of fun digging into her own daughter's love life…

… if she were to know my true feelings, then I would never hear the end of it.

I need to deceive her here!

"I-it's not like I like Senpai or anything!"

Uwaaaaaaaaaaaahh?

Tsundere?

…something had come out not unlike the tone of the heroine in the manga I'd recently borrowed from Ayane.

Her suspicions somewhat confirmed, Okaa-san excitedly exclaimed,

"…bang bang!",

crouching and shooting at the floor with her fingers.

* * *

Afterwards, Okaa-san continued to repeatedly tease me even as we prepared the sweets and coffee (I took great care to make sure that the coffee was sweet enough; she kept on questioning if it was _too_ sweet, though).

After they were done, another 10 minutes were spent discussing the tuition's formal arrangements with Senpai.

"Well, now that that's been sorted out, I think we should start as soon as possible… where will I be holding the lesson?"

"Ah, if that's the case, please hold it in Iroha's room."

"Eh!? Okaa-san, didn't we already decide that we'd be using the livi-" _"Iroha's room is upstairs, I'll show you the way~"_ "-when we talked yesterday!?"

"Ano… I think your daughter just said something."

"Please do not worry about it."

"Eh, but-"

"Please do not worry about it." *smile*

"…Yes."

I had been supposed to handle things, but in the end my mother had taken over.

There isn't anything I can do about this, is there…

* * *

 ** _Look, honestly, there's no way I'd be capable of writing such a fluffy story by myself._**

 ** _If some parts feel a bit awkwardly written, it's probably because they are. Do let me know._**

 ** _Wonder if I should add 'OC' to the character list._**

 ** _Next chapter probably in 2-3 days._**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I've just realized that there are probably a number of users on this site who watch English-dubbed anime. Would make sense then that the inclusion of a few Japanese words makes the story confusing to read. Obviously I've always favoured subtitles, which explains my preference for leaving several bits of colloquial Japanese unchanged.**_

 _ **That being said, I don't expect to make any major changes when I go back and edit the previous chapters. How would you localize something like 'Ara ara ara' ? I'm actually really curious as to how the dubs handle this.**_

 _ **Hmm. Well, without further ado, here is Chapter 4.**_

* * *

 **[~ Iroha POV ~]**

"Well then, take it easy, young ones~"

Saying that, Okaa-san left my room.

So now, I was left alone with Senpai.

…There seems to be a bit of tension.

"How should I put it… your mother is pretty amazing, huh."

"…I'm sorry."

Really, for having such a meddlesome mother, I'm truly sorry.

After that, we remained seated in awkward silence.

… It would seem both of us had yet to fully recover from the psychological attack that was our surprise reunion.

 _For the time being, I should say something!_

Thinking that, I looked up at Senpai's face,

"… what's with that suspicious blushing? That's gross."

Saying such a thing at the sight of him looking so unsettled, I was successfully able to calm down a bit.

"No, that's because, well, you know…"

"What was that, even after all this time you're still trying to increase your appeal? ' _You and I are close enough to know what I mean_ ', that sort of mutual understanding? I still haven't prepared my heart for such things, sorry, please try again some other time."

"Just how many times have I been rejected by you by now… this actually feels nostalgic…"

Saying so, Senpai smiled wryly.

"…well, anyway, it's just that I'm not accustomed to such situations. Apart from Komachi, I've almost never entered a woman's room before."

What a sweet reason.

Hm hm, so Senpai had almost never been inside a girl's room…

 _Wait. Almost?_

"By 'almost', does that mean that you _have_ been to a girl's room a few times before?"

There might have been a bit of jealousy mixed into my voice.

"Ah, that is, I've been to Yukinoshita's and Yuigahama's rooms before."

 _…Well, I suppose I can let it pass if it's just those two._

"At any rate, it's been a while since I last saw you in casual clothes, Isshiki… they seem to look pretty good on you?"

"Fuehh?"

Just as I had started to lower my defenses, Senpai suddenly launched this kind of surprise attack.

Really, isn't _he_ the one who's always being sly?

"Th-thanks for the compliment…"

"O, ou."

The room fell into silence once more.

 _Actually, why was Senpai in my room again?_

 _...Ah, yes, he was supposed to be teaching me._

"Le, lesson! Let's start the lesson, Senpai!"

"A-ah, that's right."

Thus, it was with this kind of awkward atmosphere that our first lesson began.

* * *

Once the class had started, the feeling from before quickly dissipated.

Well, it's because I'm very sincere in wanting to attend Senpai's university.

There's no way I could allow myself to get distracted during such precious study time.

And, in the blink of an eye, sixty minutes had passed.

"Yosh, well done. It's been an hour, so we'll be taking a five-minute break."

As the class progressed, Senpai and I had become a bit more relaxed.

"Roger that! At any rate, you seem pretty used to teaching, Senpai."

I meant it, he really is a very good teacher.

Whenever I couldn't understand a question, Senpai was able to easily, with a few questions of his own, accurately assess what the issue was and rephrase it to me in a way simple enough to understand.

And if I encountered a problem I really could not solve, he would very carefully and thoroughly explain the solution to me.

Just how he had acquired such a skill?

"I often tutored Komachi at home, you see. I can't even remember exactly how many nights I spent staying up to help prepare her for the end-of-term exams. Well… it's alright because she's cute."

He closed his eyes and nodded in self-satisfaction.

"Uwaaa, siscon…

Incidentally, Senpai, why are you working as a tutor?"

I asked curiously, on a more serious note.

"Well, you see, my damn father decided to drastically reduce the amount of money he'd transfer. Without this work my life would have seriously been in danger, you know?"

"Ah, ahaha, so there had been such a reason.

…

Hmm? Transfer? Does that mean Senpai is currently living alone?"

"Ever since I entered university."

"How are you handling your meals?"

"Before, I had been planning to live on ramen, but now, even that sort of thing has become a luxury. These days I just survive by eating whatever's cheap enough."

 _I'm getting kind of worried for him..._

"That sort of diet will definitely damage your body in the future... please wait for a moment."

Saying so, I got up and headed towards the living room.

* * *

 _ **So, in this chapter we had the first 'rejection'. Could probably have been executed better. Meh.**_

 _ **There's been some confusion as to whether this is my own fanfic based on someone else's idea, or a translation: Let's just say that it's an unsolicited translation that's done very liberally. Hur hurr.**_

 _ **If you don't know what a siscon is, look it up. I think it's a fairly common term in anime/manga though.**_

 _ **The next chapter has a bit of dinner table talk!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**I've been pretty lazy about revising the chapters to be more consistent. For the severe crime of procrastination, I plead guilty as charged.  
**_

 _ **If you've come this far, you probably won't need them, but here's a few notes: loosely translated,**_

 _ **Iya=No**_  
 _ **(*This isn't always the case, though)**_

 _ **Iya desu=No way**_

 _ **Fufu= laughing noise**_

 _ **Baka= Eh, I think this refers to the name of a certain village in Burkina Faso?  
**_

 _ **Also, as to whether Yukinoshita or Yuigahama will make an appearance, that remains to be seen. They didn't play much of a part in the original fanfiction, but seeing as this is a fanfic of a fanfic, I have the freedom to change things a bit (like the deviant I am).**_

 _ **Anyway, here's the dinner table talk chapter.**_

 _ **ufufufufufu...**_

* * *

 _ **[~ Iroha POV ~]**_

When I entered the living room, Okaa-san was watching television.

"Hmm? Are you on break now, Iroha?"

"Un. I need to discuss something with you, Okaa-san."

"About the way you want me to interact with Hikigaya-kun?"

"…"

"Sorry, Iroha-chan. Okaa-san was in the wrong there, so could you please stop glaring at me?"

"Seriously, you… I wanted to talk about tonight's dinner. It seems to be that recently, Senpai hasn't been eating decently, so I was wondering if he could join us today?"

"Ara ara, it's so nice to see you worrying so much about your future husband's physical well-being!

…

OW, that hurts! Iroha-chan, Okaa-san's sorry so could you please stop hitting me with that? The remote controller really hurts!"

"Hmph. So, about dinner? Are you okay with cooking enough for one more person?"

"Well, if it's only that much, that's completely fine by me. There's hardly any difference in the effort needed to cook three or four servings, anyway."

"Really? Arigatou! Well then, I'll let Senpai know!"

"Haaah, who would have expected that Iroha would be this madly in love…"

"It, it's not _like_ that!"

"Yes, yes, I know…"

Said my mother unconvincingly, as she shooed me away.

"Mou…"

Exasperated, I left her and returned to my room.

* * *

I took a deep breath, equipped the biggest smile I could muster on my face, and swiftly opened the door.

"I'm back! Did you perhaps think I'd be gone until tomorrow?"

"There's no way I'd think that… though, it's been a long time since I last heard you speak in this sly voice of yours."

"It's not sly... By the way, Senpai, what do you think about eating dinner here tonight?"

"No, that would probably be an inconvenience."

 _Instant rejection?_

"It's fine! Okaa-san already gave permission!"

"You were prepared to that extent, huh. Even so…"

Muuu, he's being quite stubborn.

"Also, I've been wanting to hear various stories about university from you, Senpai! It'd be a great help to me too!"

"That reminds me, you really are aiming for the same university as me. Even if I'm the one saying so, isn't it pretty high level? How should I say this… if not for the class just now, I wouldn't have thought you'd have stood a chance getting in."

"Mu, isn't that a pretty rude thing for you to say? Well, whatever… so, have you decided about dinner?"

After thinking worriedly to himself for a while, Senpai finally gave in.

"Well, it's fine if it's not too much trouble. I still feel a little bad about it, though."

"No, no, please do not worry!"

"Hm. Well, it's about time now, so let's continue the lesson."

"Hai!"

Thinking happily to myself about eating dinner together with Senpai, just like that, the next hour passed by very quickly.

* * *

"Good work. We'll stop here for today."

"Fuuu… senpaaai, I'm ti-re-d~"

As I said that, I started rubbing my head against Senpai's shoulder.

After having studied so hard day-in day-out, I felt like I deserved to be spoiled by him.

"Oi, baka, stop that. I can smell your… Oi, let go of me."

I was starting to have too much fun.

"Urya urya!" **(Note: this doesn't really have a meaning...)**

"Acting all cute with your 'urya urya'ing, oi. No, really, let go."

"I-YA-DE-SU~"

Suddenly, as I was playfully messing around with Senpai, I felt someone's gaze on us.

Peering in, through the slight gap at the door…

"…" *grin*

Okaa-san had been watching.

Facing the opposite direction, Senpai remained unaware of the unexpected guest, but I quickly let go.

"…Haah, finally, you let go of me. Wait, is something wrong?"

"N-no, it's nothing in particular. Ah, the food might already be done, so please wait in the living room! It's the same place as before."

I led him to the door and let him go ahead.

Okaa-san was no longer in the corridor when we left the room. Most likely, she was now in her bedroom.

Confirming that Senpai was well out of earshot, I quickly went to the bedroom, and shoved open the door.

"Ara Iroha, is it really fine to leave your beloved senpai unaccompanied?" *big smile*

"Like I said, it's different from what you think."

"Senpaaai, I'm ti-re-d~ _(voice imitation)_ "

"You were there from the start!?"

"I saw the whole thing perfectly."

"Uu…"

I was seen by the person I'd least wanted watching us.

"It must be so good to be young… 'Uryaa~' _(voice imitation)_ "

"…"

"Fufu, I hadn't realized it would be so much fun to mess with Iroha-chan. Anyway, you should get a move on, it would be bad of you to keep Hikigaya-kun waiting! Dinner's already been prepared."

Saying this, Okaa-san moved in the direction of the living room.

Thinking how the conversation at dinner would continue to be completely influenced by my mother's pace, I let out a deep sigh and followed her.

…

…

"…This kind of unpleasant sigh, Hikigaya-kun might get put off you know?"

"Noisy!"

 _Really, this mother…!_

* * *

Dinner was meat and potatoes.

My mother's cooking is pretty good in general, but above all else, this dish is probably her specialty.

It was probably what got Otou-san to marry her, this meat and potato stew…

"Itadakimasu." **(Note: said before starting a meal)**

I watched Senpai take his first bite.

"Ohhh. This is insanely delicious."

"Fufu, eat as much as you want, okay?"

Okaa-san seems to be relishing this situation.

 _You look like you haven't had this much fun in a few years…_

Are mothers usually this happy when their daughter brings the one they love over?

I can't really tell.

If it were Otou-san… well, I imagine he would have swooped down on Senpai like a hawk.

My father… is hopelessly in love with me.

 _Heh, though that feature of his does make him easy to manipulate._ _*dark smile*_

Ah, by the way, Otou-san seems to be coming back late from work tonight.

He's the perfect example of a corporate slave.

...

"By the way… Hikigaya-kun, do you have a girlfriend?"

...

"Gahaggoho!?"

I choked. Wa, water… wait, that's not important here!

I forced myself to calm down, listening attentively for his answer.

"Ah… that sort of person, I don't have one. Not even once, from the time I was born."

"Is, is that so…"

Senpai seemed a bit down, but to me, it was happy news.

Well, I'd been worrying that maybe, just maybe, he had already hooked up with either Yukinoshita-senpai or Yuigahama-senpai. Given how close they had been in high school, the chances of such a thing happening hadn't exactly been zero…

 _So, he still doesn't have one…_

"Well, that's because it's Senpai after all…!"

I let out a happy, springy voice.

"Just why does that make you look so overjoyed…"

"I mean, if Senpai found a girlfriend before I even got myself a boyfriend, wouldn't it mean that I had lost…?"

"No, there's no 'win' or 'lose' here… Besides, do you mean to say that you still haven't found a suitable boyfriend? Surely a number of good guys must have approached you by now. Or, are you _still_ pursuing Hayama?"

Okaa-san was staring at Senpai with a 'Wow, this person is really thick-headed' sort of expression.

 _Seeing a girl so overjoyed upon learning that you don't have a girlfriend, thinking to yourself "Hmm? Could it be that she likes me?", wouldn't that be the normal reaction?_

Though, then again, with Senpai's dark history? He'd probably pass it off as him misunderstanding their intentions. (Though, in _my_ case it wouldn't be a misunderstanding.)

 _Muu… this isn't easy... well, l_ _et's just ignore the misunderstanding about Hayama-senpai for the moment..._

"Well, Senpai, isn't it actually because previously I was too preoccupied by my student council work to have a boyfriend, whereas now, I've been too busy studying for exams? I realized it'd just be a hindrance either way, see~"

Okaa-san was facing me with a, " _No, isn't it actually because you like Hikigaya-kun?_ " sort of expression.

...

She seems to be lip-syncing something.

 _Ignored, ignored._

"Ah, that's certainly true."

"That's right. A boyfriend who helps me out a lot with work, who takes care of me like a proper gentleman, who's always there when I need them for peace of mind, that's more of the kind of person I'm looking for."

I mustered up a bit more courage.

 _Even if it's this ultra-dense senpai, "Eh, that… isn't that me?", surely he should be thinking this much!_

 _Now, please become a little more aware of my feelings, even if it's just a tiny bit!_

Okaa-san, realizing my objective, also held her breath as we stared at him together.

"No, no, realistically there's no way that sort of guy would exist."

""Haa?""

 _Really?_

This person, without even missing a beat, denied my suggestion so naturally?

They do exist! I'm looking at one of them right now!

"W-well, of course there isn't someone like that..."

I couldn't help feeling a bit dejected.

This person isn't just super thick-headed.

His degree of denseness is impossible to express in words.

Or else, perhaps he doesn't even look at me in that way… to him, I might be nothing more than a little sister…

"S…so, what qualities are _you_ looking for in a girlfriend, Senpai?"

If forcibly drawing attention to the issue failed, even if my appeal no longer worked on him, at the very least I could gather a bit more information about his ideal woman.

"Nurturing ones."

"Desu yo ne."

Un, this much I was aware of.

 _Well, how about I confirm if his tastes have changed._

"Then, younger or older, which do you currently prefer?"

"Well, I don't really mind either… though if I was forced to decide, I guess I'd say younger?"

 _Alright! Younger!_

I fist-pumped internally. It would have been a huge problem proceeding from here if he had said otherwise.

"That might be due to my experience with Komachi. Actually, in some ways she's quite similar to you, Isshiki (minus the rottenness). … Hmm, well, good memories…"

Hearing my name mentioned in this way makes me somewhat happy, though, I'm a bit anxious, being placed into the same younger-sister category as Komachi-chan …

"Ah, if that's the case, what about my Iroha?"

Hey, Okaa-san!?

I thought you'd been unusually quiet earlier, but now you suddenly decided to drop a nuclear bomb!?

I panicked.

"Iya, iya, iya, there's no way. Re-really, Senpai, are you trying to make my mother your ally? It was a good attempt, but please come at me more fairly next time, I'm sorry.

I bowed my head apologetically, trembling slightly.

"I hadn't even said anything? Actually, aren't you being too unreasonable with the rejection here?"

Okaa-san was staring at me expressionlessly.

Un, when I thought about it, what I said was definitely uncalled for, though I think Okaa-san was also at fault here.

 _…In all honesty, it would seem that my heart isn't prepared to hear his answer just yet._

Okaa-san continued to blankly observe me throughout Senpai's stories of university, up until dinner was over.

* * *

 ** _Jam-packed with sugar. It's probably too late to slap a health warning on it, though..._**

 ** _Oh well_** _._ _ **¯\\_(**_ _ **ツ**_ _ **)_/¯**_

 ** _Unless things change, next chapter will be a Hachiman-POV side-story (also from the 'source' material)._**


	6. Chapter 6

_**...aaand here's Chapter 6.**_

 _ **I kind of decided against the Hachiman side-story idea, since I felt it'd be interrupting the fluff train's journey. Could have it as a separate fic, though.**_

 _ **There might be a bit of confusion with regards to who's saying what in this chapter, but I hope you can all figure it out.**_

 _ **Apologies for the delay in releasing this, I had a lot of things going on.**_

* * *

 _ **[~ Iroha POV ~]**_

After we had eaten dinner, I decided to see Senpai off at the front door.

"Isshiki, that assignment, please complete it before our next session. Next time we'll start off with a test on your knowledge of English vocabulary."

"Haaai!"

"Thank you very much for today. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future."

"No, no, there's no need to be so formal, I'm the one who should be thanking you for all your help."

"Well then, as agreed, I'll be coming over for our next session in another two days. Sorry for bothering you."

With those words, Senpai bowed slightly, turned, and walked off.

I continued to gaze at his back until he had completely disappeared from view.

Although I was already starting to feel the loneliness settling in, to know that in the future, he'd be visiting my house three times a week to give me lessons… it's a very pleasant thought.

…

 _Ahhh, this isn't good, I can already feel my face starting to slacken…_

…

…

"…Fufufu."

Hearing someone chuckling to themselves softly, I snapped my head around to find my mother standing behind me.

For the second time today, I had been caught completely off guard.

"…Noisy."

I hastily went inside and closed the front door.

* * *

A short while after Senpai had left, I diligently went over the contents of the English vocabulary book that we had covered during today's lesson.

Motivated by the thought of getting praised by Senpai, I was even able to memorize some of the lengthier words that I'd been struggling with on the previous day.

 _Motivation is pretty important._

Then, I went to bed feeling more refreshed than I had ever been in a long time. As I closed my eyes, I slowly thought over events that had happened earlier in the day.

I could tell that tonight's dream would be a good one.

* * *

The next day, I woke up positively brimming with energy, got ready, and left for school earlier than usual.

Entering the classroom with plenty of time to spare, I sat down at my desk and arranged my studying materials. The other students had yet to arrive.

 _Well, it's exactly what I wanted. An empty classroom makes for an ideal studying environment._

I got started on Senpai's assignment straight away.

After a while, my classmates began to trickle in. At the beginning, a few of the boys had tried to start up a conversation with me, but eventually left me to my own devices after I had silently indicated to them that I wanted to study.

…

…

…

"Ohayou, Iroha! At it again today, I see."

"Ohayooo~. Uwaa, working so hard at it every morning, I don't get how you do it."

"Ah, both of you, ohayou!"

It would seem that Haruka and Ayane have also arrived at school.

Unlike with the boys, I speak to them energetically with a smile.

Well, we're friends after all.

In any case, the fact that they had greeted me now must have meant that first period was close to starting. In recent weeks, these two had taken it upon themselves to avoid interrupting my morning revision as much as possible.

I had initially told them not to worry about it and to greet me anyway, but after they insisted so much on it, I just smiled and let them be.

Well, we're very good friends after all.

Haruka was the first to notice something out of the ordinary.

"By the way, Iroha, somehow, you seem a lot more energetic than usual?"

"Eh, really?"

"Un. Before, I got the feeling that you were studying out of a sense of duty, but today, you kind of looked like you were having fun doing it."

 _Sh, sharp…_

"Ohhh. That reminds me, Iroha, how was your first home tuition session yesterday?"

Ayane?

"…Perhaps, at that time something good happened?!"

 _So sharrrp!?_

"Eh, no, nothing really happened."

"" That's a lie. ""

Kuh, it isn't easy deceiving those who've known you for a long time…!

"Really, like I said, nothing happened at all."

"Iroha, did you know? Whenever you lie, a certain bad habit of yours shows."

"EHH!? No way!?"

 _Really? I had no idea…_

"Ohoho! Judging from that reaction, something definitely happened! Ah, incidentally that thing about your habit was a lie, there's no such thing."

I was tricked!?

How dirty! Using such underhanded tactics against me, how dirty, Haruka!

"Come onnn, let us know what happened!"

"Why won't you say?"

I frantically tried to think of a way to escape the situation.

"…Ah! Looks like first period is about to start! Hurry up, we've got to change rooms!"

"Heh, she dodged it."

"Well, we'll let you go for now, but we expect you to share the fun story with us at lunchtime!"

Apparently, my interrogation has been scheduled to occur during lunch break.

 _Haaah_.

* * *

"Saaa~ Ayane-san, is it lunch break already?"

"Definitely lunch break, Haruka-san."

"" Fun time is here! ""

Be it Okaa-san or these two, the people I'm close to really have a _gooood_ personality, don't they…

"Eh, uhh, just I while earlier I got called by Hiratsuka-sensei to do something…"

"You were with us for the whole morning, weren't you?"

"Oh…"

 _Well, I shouldn't have expected that kind of excuse to work on them anyway._

"Give up already and spill the beans!"

No matter how I tried, it would be impossible to get away.

Well… I suppose I can share yesterday's experience if it's these two.

I gave in and informed them that the person who had come over to tutor me was a certain Hikigaya-senpai.

...

"By Hikigaya-senpai, if I'm remembering things correctly, could she mean _that_ Hikigaya-senpai with the rotten eyes who was always helping her out with student council work, Ayane?"

"Hmm, hmm. That certainly seems likely, Haruka."

They'd been speaking to each other in hushed voices like this for quite a while…

Seems like, for the time being, I'm in for a lot of teasing.

"Hmm. I've actually been suspicious about it from way back, but Iroha, could it possibly be that towards that senpai…"

 _Stop right there Haruka, your intuition's really scaring me right now!_

"…you've always liked him?"

"" Clunk ""

It might have been my imagination, but I got the impression that the surrounding male's seats had simultaneously been readjusted.

"Eh? Ehh?"

"Ahh, I see, it finally, it all makes sense now. You were using Hayama-senpai as a front to disguise your true feelings!"

"Eh, wai-"

"" What's with this unexpected development, hella funny! ""

…

At home I was incessantly harassed by Okaa-san, while at school, I wasn't even safe from Haruka and Ayane's teasing…

Would my only respite be when I was studying next to Senpai?

Afterwards, the two of them dragged me off to a quieter room to hear the full story from me.

 _Someday, once these two start to have their own love problems, I'll be sure to pay them back in full…_

By the time the three of us had returned to the other classroom, I was already too exhausted to care about the hushed whispers and stealthy gazes from our other classmates.

Haruka and Ayane, well, they were positively shining.

* * *

Then, it became after-school.

"We're sorry Iroha, cheer up already!"

"As expected, maybe we went a bit too far."

"…mou."

Today Haruka had no cram school, so the three of us were going back together.

"Iyaa~ Even so, Hikigaya-senpai, huh."

"If I'm not mistaken, wasn't there a period of time where that guy was very much disliked by everyone?"

"Senpai would often resort to any means necessary in order to help solve other people's problems, even to the extent of making himself out to be the bad guy. That's probably how the whole negative perception of him came to be."

"Heeh, to think Hikigaya-senpai was that sort of person…"

I could probably trust these people to keep silent about the whole affair. Honestly, I was very lucky to have them as my very good friends.

 _Though, we hadn't really started off that way…_

I recalled how as a first year, I had often eaten lunch alone.

"Though, Iroha, you may want to tread a bit more carefully from now on."

"Huh? Why?"

"Weren't you aware? The topic of the person who Iroha likes triggered quite the response from the boys in our year."

"Eh, no way!?"

I hadn't noticed at all.

Then again, what about the sounds of desks that I had heard earlier…

"I'm certain that the news of Iroha having someone she likes will have spread all over the school by the end of the day…"

"And starting from tomorrow, it's likely that in order to confirm the rumour, some of them will be looking to confess to you…"

"Uwaa~…"

It was just like that time when the rumours about Hayama-senpai and Yukinoshita-senpai going out had spread.

Certainly, this kind of topic was popular material for gossip in the student body.

"Well, the story of this kind of fated encounter would surely be a popular topic among the females."

"However, we'll do our best to keep the boys in check."

"Thank you…"

Though these two would sometimes get too caught up in the moment, at the end of the day they were quite reliable friends, I think.

We reached the station and bid our goodbyes.

On the train, I became slightly depressed thinking about what I'd likely have to deal with on the following day.

Though, then again, after school tomorrow, Senpai would be coming over to my house.

Looking forward to it, I vowed spiritedly to overcome tomorrow's challenges.

* * *

 _The next day, speaking from the conclusion, was a complete mess._

 _Recently, I had been coming to school as early as an hour and a half before class started in order to study, but some of the boys had been waiting for me to come to school even earlier than that._

 _At first, I had been planning to turn them down gently, but the ones who had come to school all pumped up were very insistent._

 _Then, as I had gradually started to get annoyed, Ayane and Haruka, who had thought this sort of thing might happen, turned up and drove them off._

"Haah…"

I sighed for the umpteenth time that day as I walked to the station with Ayane.

Today, Haruka had cram school, so she had gone back before us.

"It was nothing. Though, you know, this was probably to be expected. Being the student council president for two years, there's no way that you wouldn't have developed a group of admirers, you know?"

"Just give me a break…"

All that's left for today is to return home for Senpai's tuition class.

Time to let loose my true nature.

I decided that I'd fawn over Senpai to an unprecedented extent today.

* * *

 _ **Well, let me know what you thought.  
**_

 _ **Will try to get out Chapter 7 asap.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Apparently, ASAP= a week for me. Well, you learn something new every day!**_

 _ **orz**_

 _ **Either way, time for Lesson #2.  
**_

* * *

 _ **[~ Iroha POV ~]**_

As soon as I got home, I immediately took a bath.

Since classes were conducted in close proximity, I wanted to make sure that I had washed off all the sweat beforehand.

The next step… well, all that's left afterwards is to have the class with Senpai.

"Hm hm hm~…"

As I bathed, I slowly became conscious of the fact that I was humming to myself.

 _Ahh, I want to meet with Senpai soon…_

* * *

Okaa-san was unable to conceal her grin upon seeing me exit the bathroom in such a good mood.

"…What?"

"Nothing?"

 _Kuh, this kind of 'I know exactly what's going on, hohoho' smile is really irritating!_

I'll ignore this other person for now.

To ensure my flawless performance, I need to focus on reviewing the list of English words and phrases before Senpai arrives.

* * *

It was now 4:15 in the afternoon.

Senpai was supposed to arrive by 4:30pm.

I had come down to the living room, and was currently seated on the couch near the window, restlessly getting up from time to time to check outside.

Seeing this sort of behaviour from me, Okaa-san was once again grinning from ear to ear.

"…What?"

"Well, Iroha-chan's just too cute!"

"Mou! Okaa-san, just go away!"

"Ehh? Even though I was here first, I'm being evicted from the living room by my own dear daughter?"

She moved away, making sobbing noises while saying "Iroha-chan, how cruel! … this must be her rebellious phase…"

Setting that aside, is Senpai really not here yet…?

I once again moved to the window so as to check the street outside.

Okaa-san, still going 'oyoyo…' with fake tears (the overemphasised shimmering gives it away, you know?!) also came over to have a look.

…

Now it was the pitiful 'you've lost your guy' expression.

 _Ignoring…_

After confirming that Senpai was still a while away from arriving, I went to the kitchen to get a drink.

Upon returning to the living room, I was greeted by the sight of a pouting Okaa-san.

Is this person a child…?

Passing by this sulking mother of mine, I yet again looked outside the window.

"He's here!"

I saw Senpai approaching from the other side.

I hurriedly ran to the door, and noticed that I had unconsciously already placed my hand on the doorknob.

 _Ah, come to think of it, wouldn't it be too unnatural if I opened the door before the intercom had been pressed?_

I might be getting ahead of myself here.

 _Act rationally!_

I stopped short of opening the front door, waiting patiently for the buzz of the intercom.

Glancing behind me, I could see a certain someone looking in my direction and desperately trying to hold back their laughter. Not that I cared or anything.

 _…Those inflated cheeks make you look like a puffer fish._

Another agonizing ten seconds…

"Bz-…"

"Welcomebacksenpai!" I flung the door open.

"Wha-!? That startled me, wasn't that too soon after I pressed the intercom?"

I messed uuuup!?

 _Opening the front door at the instant the intercom buzzes, of course he'd be taken aback!_

In the end, my earlier self-restraint had served no purpose.

"It, it was just a coincidence! I had just been checking if there was any new mail delivered, and then I heard the noise! Ahaha."

"O-oh. Oh, is that so. I see."

It was evident that Senpai was vaguely aware of my desperate attempt to cover up the true reason.

"PFFFFTTT-!"

And, behind me, a certain someone who had moved so as to not be seen by Senpai from that angle, was unable to hold back their laughter any longer.

… I'll get my revenge on you later.

* * *

Somewhat glazing over what had happened at the door, I immediately guided Senpai to my room so that we could start the lesson as soon as possible.

After forty minutes of concentrating on the lesson.

"OK. This is probably a good place to stop. There's just about enough time left; shall we have that English test now, then?

Kitaa~!

"Hai! Let's do it!"

"Eh. Why do you look so overjoyed? It's a test, you know? A test."

"No, I'm not at all that happy?"

"Iya… well, whatever. I'll be reading out the translations to some of the English words and phrases that we covered the other day, please write them out in English."

"Ryoukai de―su!"

 _Tests are great, you know?_

I mean, scoring high in them would get me praised by Senpai!

For this very purpose, during the last two days I had opened the English vocabulary book whenever I was free.

By this time, I had already memorized word for word, _all_ of the translations and explanations of their meanings that were in the section of the textbook specified by Senpai.

 _Unexpectedly, even I could do it if I tried hard enough._

 _And…_

"Perfect… score…?"

"Naturally!"

 _After all, I had already memorized everything!_

"No, but during the lesson just two days ago, you had clearly been struggling with these sentences. To think that you somehow became this smart in such a short period of time..."

"Like I said, aren't you looking down on me too much? Anyway, I got a perfect score, you know! _Perfect_ score!"

"Most certainly."

"Please praise me!"

"That's not the kind of request that should come from the person themselves… Err, well done, I guess?"

 _Uun, this kind of praise isn't enough…_

"One more time!"

"What's with this 'one more time'… Well, keep up the good work. Tired-san."

Saying that, Senpai began stroking my hair.

 _Huh? Huh, huuuuh?_

"…Fueh?"

"A-Ah, sorry about that, just a bad habit I've picked up from being with Komachi."

Apologising like so, Senpai immediately began to move his hand away.

"No good!"

I had unconsciously extended a hand in order to stop him.

"?"

"Ah, e-etou. I don't particularly dislike it, so please continue."

"O, ou."

Timidly, he continued caressing my hair.

 _Nade nade nade nade nade nade…_ **(SFX for gentle brushing)**

Ah, this is dangerous.

I'm starting to feel too comfortable…

How should I say, it's not just my head, but also my heart that's getting that pleasant feeling of satisfaction?

"…"

"…"

We were both silent.

What should I do, I couldn't find the right timing to stop it.

Actually, I didn't even want him to stop.

My perception of time had dulled, but by now, probably, he had already been stroking my hair for several minutes?

Senpai, seemingly also unable to find the right timing to stop, continued to move his hand without saying anything.

It wouldn't be so bad, really, if this situation continued forever…

*Gacha*

Suddenly, the door was opened.

"Sorry to intruuude. Hikigaya-kun, will you also be joining us for din… ner… to… day?"

All three of us were frozen in place.

Glancing at the clock, it had already been an hour since the lesson had begun.

"… It seems like I interrupted you, please continue."

Saying so, Okaa-san hastily left the room.

Apparently, even Okaa-san had found the situation too awkward to make any teasing remarks.

"…"

"…"

Sooo awkward.

Okaa-san, why did you have to pick such a bad time to enter the room…

…

"Ah, etou, Senpai, so, uh, what are your plans for dinner?"

"Eh? Uh, I wonder?"

"If, if you joined us again tonight, I think Okaa-san would probably be delighted?"

"Is, is that so. Well then, I'll take you up on that offer."

"Th, then, I'll let Okaa-san know."

Saying, so, I left the room.

* * *

Upon entering the living room…

"Ahhhhh, just why didn't I open the door a crack first to take a peek?! I missed out on such a good scene!"

…

Really, this person never changes…

That seemingly uncomfortable expression you had had when you left the room, it turned out to actually be a look of regret…

As revenge for what had happened earlier when Senpai had arrived, I hit Okaa-san on the head with a box of tissues.

Oh, that made a really good sound.

"Itta!? Eh, what? What is it now!?"

"Okaa-san, starting from now, couldn't you please at least knock on the door before entering? And, any peeking is completely banned."

"Eeeh? Actually, what was that for just now? That hurt quite a bit…"

"Don't 'Eeeh' me, isn't this much the bare minimum of common courtesy? Really, you… anyway, Senpai said he would be staying over for dinner."

"Ah, is that so? Well, time to ready some of that fighting spirit! By the way, earlier, what was going on when…"

I left the living room before she could finish her sentence.

Why does trying to talk with Okaa-san always end up being more tiring than studying, I wonder?

* * *

Returning to my room, after spending a bit more of the break lazing around slightly awkwardly, it was time to resume classes.

The second half of today's lesson would be on Classics.

Since Classics wasn't exactly my strongest subject, I spent a lot of the time asking Senpai questions about English instead. Before I knew it, an hour had already passed.

"Right. That's enough for today."

"It's finally over!"

I let my face fall flat onto my desk.

 _Ahh, it feels nice and cool._

Well then, for next time, please revise everything from here… up to here. As for English…"

Senpai was thinking hard about what homework to set.

I happily looked up at Senpai's troubled profile.

My mouth started to loosen.

"… up until here. This should be enough to keep you busy until next time. Wait, why are you smiling?"

"No, I'm not really laughing at anything in particular, you knoww~! Anyway, let's go, it'll be time for dinner soon!"

I got up and left the room, pulling Senpai along by the hand as I did so.

"Wait, let go of my hand…"

"Areee~? Senpai, are you perhaps embarrassed that we're holding hannnds?"

"Haah, really, you. What would you do if your mother saw?"

Ce, certainly it would be a bother…

I reluctantly let go.

We continued onward towards the living room.

* * *

After an enjoyable dinner with the three of us, it was once again time for Senpai to go back.

"Thank you for the dinner, it was a feast."

"It was really nothing much. Please feel free to eat dinner with us whenever you like in the future…~~"

"Eh, no, as expected, that much is…"

"It's fine, it's fineee! My Iroha is an only child, so when Hikigaya-kun is here, it really feels like I have a son too!"

"Re, really. Well then… thank you for the offer."

Senpai got pressured into accepting Okaa-san's offer out of obligation.

"I'm sure Iroha would also be very pleased!"

"Don't say any unnecessary things!"

"It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Mou!"

"Ah, ahaha. Well then, if you'll excuse me, I need to get going."

"See you next time, then. Thank you for coming."

"Goodbye, Senpai!"

Today, once again gazed at Senpai's back until he had completely disappeared from sight.

"… Pretty brave, huh."

"…Annoying."

* * *

 _ **At some point you just have to be impressed by Japan's ability to constantly churn out these sugary works.**_

 _ **Anyway, it's already October, wow! Just a little over three more weeks until October 27th...**_

 _ **You should know what I mean.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **If you don't, shame on you. Really.**_

 _ ***shakes head***_

 _ **Better stack up on the insulin.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Well… I'm back.**_

 _ **That OVA had quite a fair dose of sugar and spice and something nice. Not too sure how to interpret Iroha's actions towards the end, but the first half had some pretty good Iroha scenes. I guess the original content for Yui/Yukino was alright too, though I pretty much skipped past them when re-watching for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th… and… well you get the point.**_

 _ **As anyone can clearly see, I'm pretty biased that way.**_

 _ **Relevant note for this chapter: "Doria is a rice and butter based dish which typically has chicken or prawns, and some vegetables mixed in, with a creamy white sauce (maybe cheese) on top." Apparently it's a rather common Italian dish in Japan; it'd likely be on the menu at most family restaurants.**_

 _ **This one's a fairly short chapter. No, I am not getting lazier...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **(Okay, maybe I am. But seriously, the chapter was this short even in the *cough* source material *cough*)**_

* * *

 _ **[~ Iroha POV ~] (as usual)**_

"And, uh, now to add the milk…"

I am currently making preparations for tonight's dinner.

Ah, I should probably clarify: this doesn't mean I'm neglecting my studies.

 _I mean, it's common knowledge that studying for consecutive long hours can end up reducing your productivity, you know?_

 _If anything, it's best to take regular breaks so as to maintain a high level of efficiency. You remember things more easily that way!_

Well, at any rate, given how hard I've been working, at this point it should be completely fine if I take a whole day off from studying in order to partake in more leisurely activities.

As such, I was taking a break from studying, and preparing dinner instead; though, to be perfectly honest, 'taking a break' wasn't actually the main motivation for my actions.

 _For, today, Senpai would once again be coming over to my house to teach me!_

By now, it had already become routine for him to stay over for dinner after concluding the day's tuition session.

Up until this point, it had always been Okaa-san cooking the meals, but today, I had requested that Okaa-san leave the cooking to me.

Since Senpai's guard is still too difficult to break at this point in time, I need to first try and get him to relax his guard via his stomach!

For such a reason, I had been preparing tonight's dinner in high spirits ever since I had come back from school today.

"Are you really sure there's nothing you need Okaa-san's help with, Iroha-chan?"

Every five minutes, Okaa-san would enter the kitchen and say something like this.

 _Seems like she can't not be worried about the standard of food being prepared for her daughter's loved one._

"Mou! I already said it's fine! Okaa-san, just go over there and stay quiet, will you?"

"O-kay…"

 _It doesn't have the same significance if there's someone else helping me cook Senpai's food, you know, so don't look so down when I'm stopping you from helping out!_

Apparently, even knowing this important detail didn't stop my mother from putting on an exceedingly anxious expression…

By the way, the desired menu for tonight's dinner was Doria.

So as to not make Senpai wait for too long after ending the lesson, I had decided beforehand to prepare Doria, due to the dish being fast enough to cook by simply heating up the pre-prepared ingredients when the time came.

"Well, that just about wraps up the white sauce!"

 _I wonder if Senpai will compliment my cooking?_

* * *

After I finally finished preparing the food, I checked the clock on the kitchen wall.

Apparently, I had been so engrossed in cooking, that I had barely been conscious of the passage of time: there was only half an hour to go until Senpai would arrive.

Although Okaa-san had stopped pestering me a while ago, this whole time she had still been repeatedly journeying back and forth between the kitchen and the living room in order to check up on my progress.

That person really, _really_ has way too much spare time…

"Now then, what shall I do for the remaining thirty minutes?"

 _Well, even if I were to do anything during that time, it would probably be half-hearted._

 _Perhaps I should try go over some English vocabulary?_

 _Though, this time around I had already perfectly memorized the entire chapter of explanatory text on English words…_

Entering the living room whilst thinking to myself about such things,

"Oh, is it done now, Iroha-chan? Show me, show me!"

 _Enough already with the sparkly eyes…_

Sometimes, I seriously wonder if this mother is really an adult woman.

Even now, she was yet again sporting the smile of an overjoyed young child.

Well, I might as well spend the remaining thirty minutes satiating her curiosity…

* * *

After thirty minutes of happy, high-pitched 'Ooh's and 'Aah's from my mother as I showed her the Doria and salad that I had put together, ***click*** _(no, this isn't really such an important event that you need to suddenly start taking pictures, you know?)_

"Bzzt-"

"Ah! Hold on~!"

 _Today, I'll definitely get closer to Senpai!_

I vigorously opened the front door determinedly with this goal in mind.

"Welcome! Senpai!"

* * *

 _ **And that concludes this story! Thanks very much for your support!**_

 _ **…**_

 _ **…**_

 _ **…**_

 _ **…**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Nah, just messing with you, of course there's at least ten more chapters to go :P**_

 _ **But as I was typing out those last few lines, I realized how 'The End'-ish they sounded. 'And so, they stepped out together into the light…'**_

 _ **Anyway, hopefully someone does a play-through of the new visual novel at some point. I don't own a PS Vita, but those screencaps look pretty darn good! (especially the Iroha ones, of course)**_

 _ **I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the next chapter will be uploaded within 24 hours.**_

 _ **There, I've set myself a deadline.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hah, as promised, I released this chapter within 48 hours!**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **I did say 48, right?**_

 _ **Okay, maybe I didn't.  
**_

 _ **At any rate, it's done, so please enjoy.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **P.S.: No unexpected plot twist here, sorry, it really IS our favourite loner who rang the intercom!  
**_

* * *

 _ **[~ Iroha POV ~]**_

"Senpai! Irrasshai!"

"…Ou."

When I greeted Senpai in this way with a cheerful smile, he gave a brusque reply and averted his face slightly.

 _I actually find that reaction kind of sweet._

"…Hmm? Something smells good. By any chance, has dinner already been cooked or something? Though, it seems a bit too early for that."

 _Sh-sharp…_

Though, I can't let him know just yet. I want his honest opinion. If possible, it'd be best if he actually tried the Doria at dinner time first before I reveal that I was the one who had prepared it.

In any case, a timely diversion is required here…

"Ah! To tell the truth, that's Iroha-chan's – "Senpai, let's go up to my room!" – !"

 _That was close…_

With my hands on his back, I hurriedly pushed Senpai up the stairs before he could ask my mother about what she had been trying to say.

 _"Okaa-san! Even after I went through so much trouble to keep it a secret, you almost…!"_

"I'm sorry! It's just that after seeing Iroha working so hard like that, I ended up wanting to share my excitement…"

…

Okaa-san looked very downhearted, like a child who had just been scolded by their parents and was regretting their actions.

Well, looking carefully at her face, I could see that – "Iroha…?" – this sort of reaction was somewhat of a testament to her youthfulness.

* * *

About an hour and a half after the tuition session had begun,

"Senpai! I've answered all the questions!"

"Alright, show me your work."

I passed Senpai the answers that I had written down on several sheets of loose-leaf lined paper.

He then started marking them, all the while carefully comparing my work with the answers.

I don't know if it's just me, but Senpai's profile looks really attractive when he's serious about something…

In fact, even back in high school, there had never been anything wrong with his looks. If only he had opened his eyes a bit wider, then, discounting his attitude, he'd likely have had many female admirers.

Ever so slightly moving his right hand so as to mark a correct answer with a circle, occasionally bringing a finger to his mouth as he thought about what comment to write whenever he found a mistake… every individual action of his was causing my heart to beat a little faster.

 _Back then, was I even affected to this extent when it came to Hayama-senpai?_

…

"O-i-, Isshiki? Is everything alright?"

"Fuahh!?"

I snapped back into reality.

"Whoa!? That surprised me, Isshiki… suddenly calling out like that."

Before I knew it, Senpai had finished checking my answers and was now looking worriedly in my direction.

Actually, I had been so zoned out, I hadn't noticed that as a result of my absentmindedness, he had moved closer to check up on my condition, such that the distance between us was certainly a lot smaller than usual…

"I-I-I'm alright! There's nothing wrong with me!"

"No, your face seems a little red… I wonder, is the summer heat getting to you?"

Saying so, Senpai placed a hand on my forehead.

"Ah…"

"Well, it doesn't seem to be a fever. Uh, Isshiki?"

 _Like this, it's just like that time when he stroked my head…_

Somewhat conscious of this fact, I quickly faced my head downwards embarrassedly.

I could tell that I was blushing furiously up to my ears.

Finally realizing the situation, Senpai –

"Ah, no… sorry about that…"

"…"

This situation is really identical to what had happened during the previous lesson.

Certainly, at this point, Okaa-san had…

"…!?"

I quickly turned around to check the door, separating his hand from my forehead as I did so.

 _…Well, it's not open._

"A-ah… just another one of my bad habits. Really, I'm truly sorry for doing that."

"Huh?"

Senpai suddenly started being very apologetic

 _Eh? Why… ah._

"That, that's not it! Just now, I was just checking to see if Okaa-san was sneaking around as always! I wasn't shaking you off because I hated it! In fact, rather than hating it, I… no, never mind!"

"Is… is that so… well, anyway, you seem well enough, so are you alright with doing a test in the remaining time?"

 _How embarrassing… wait. A test?_

"I'll do it!"

"Like I said last time, I absolutely cannot understand why you're so enthusiastic about these. Well, all right. I'll be giving you a test in the same format as before."

"Ryoukai desu~!"

The reason why I was so enthusiastic, was of course that I was looking forward to what came after the test.

From last night up until now, I had been imagining excitedly what sort of reward I'd be getting. Now, the wait would finally be over.

 _Well, obviously, I'd need to score high enough first…_

* * *

…

…

"…Isshiki, you're amazing, you know."

"Ehhen!"

As expected, it's of course a perfect score.

I've said so multiple times before, but I had already perfectly memorized the English words and their meanings beforehand!

"Then, Senpai, since it's a perfect score, my reward please!"

"You shouldn't ask that so directly… anyway, I didn't even bring anything of the sort along with me today."

"Well, it's Senpai after all, so I knew that this was going to happen in the end."

"…Such a heartless thing to say."

"…*cough*… That's why, it should be fine if you grant me just one request!"

This request was something that I had thought about for a very long time last night.

And its contents…

"Let's hold the next tuition session at your place, Senpai!"

While the 'home' part of 'home tutor' certainly implies that teaching would normally be done at the house of the student, in fact, there is no such ruling set in stone.

Depending on what was most convenient for the tutor, classes could be held anywhere: in a classroom, or even a family restaurant or café.

"It's fine, right?"

"Well, I…"

"Ah… even though I did my best to answer those nasty questions that you slipped in, Senpai…"

"Guh… All the same, I don't think it'd be very easy to get your parents' approval. A young man and woman of roughly the same age alone together…"

"Eh?! Senpai, were you planning to do something to me!?"

"Oi, stop that, what do you see me as, some kind of animal? …At any rate, I'm sure your parents would be very worried about the possible implications."

 _…Though, in actual fact, would they?_

Certainly, Otou-san would vehemently oppose the idea, though it's not like I was planning on telling him myself…

As for Okaa-san, she'd be delighted. In fact, the likelihood is high that, she'd consider it such an auspicious occasion, that upon my return, she'd be serving red rice.

"Then, it'll be fine with you so long as I get permission, right?"

"…Well, I suppose so."

* * *

"Eh…"

"Then, it's decided!"

After the lesson had ended, we had gone downstairs to the living room. As expected, Okaa-san gave her blessings shortly after I had explained the proposition to her.

"! By all means, I should actually be thanking you, Hikigaya-kun! Ah, in the interests of personal hygiene, plea– OW OW OW! Iroha-chan, could you stop pinching me?

It's good that I was able to get permission from Okaa-san so easily. Though, thankfully, I'd had my guard up high enough to stop her from saying strange things in her second sentence…

 _Putting aside my future plans for that home-visit event, isn't there a more pressing issue at hand…_

"Senpai! Let's have dinner!"

"Ah. I'll help lay the table."

"No, no, Senpai, you should just wait here until everything's done: you're the guest after all!"

"All the same, it'd be inexcusable for me to simply wait here if I'm going to continue to be served dinner for free in the future."

I could certainly see why he'd feel that way… still, since the Doria wasn't fully ready to be served, I as much as possible wanted to avoid having Senpai be in the kitchen.

 _If that's the case…_

"! Okaaaa-san! Senpai wants to have a little chat with you!"

"Eh, wai–"

"Aww, is that so?! Hikigaya-kun wanting to talk to me makes me really happy!"

I left it to Okaa-san to handle the situation, knowing that she was all too aware of the task I had given her: keeping Senpai occupied until dinner was ready.

* * *

Arriving in the kitchen, I swiftly made the finishing touches to the Doria and placed it in the oven.

I then arranged the salad on individual plates and brought them to the living room together with the other eating utensils.

 _From the looks of things, Okaa-san's having a lot of fun… though I can tell from his face that this conversation is really tiring Senpai out._

Once the Doria was sufficiently grilled, I removed it from the oven and placed it on a tray, ready to be carried to the living room.

"It's ready!"

"Ah, sorry for the inconvenience…"

 _So-somehow, he looks pretty disheartened. Was Okaa-san perhaps too much of a hurdle to overcome for someone as inept at small talk as Senpai?_

But, the instant he saw the Doria,

"Oh, it's Doria? Honestly, it wouldn't be wrong to call Doria my favourite item on the menu when going to a family restaurant."

His spirit had returned.

 _Is that so… Doria's his favourite food? Thank goodness!_

Though, the respectful attitude might also be attributed to him thinking that it was Okaa-san who had prepared the food.

In fact, I wonder what kind of reaction he'd have after knowing I was the one who had made it…

… I tensed up ever so slightly.

"Fufu, please look forward to it, I think you'll find it delicious, Hikigaya-kun. Then, Itadakimaasu~"

" "Itadakimasu" "

 _Ah, just now, didn't Okaa-san casually raise the bar?_

…

I gave the first serving of Doria to Senpai.

He sank his spoon into the white sauce, and slowly scooped up the rice underneath it, bringing the food to his mouth.

"…Uhh, I don't think I've ever had someone watching me eat so closely before…"

"…!? I wasn't really looking! That… that's just you being too self-conscious, Senpai!"

"No, I clearly saw you… well, whatever."

 _Had my staring really been that obvious…?_

I glanced at Okaa-san. As expected, I could see her desperately trying to hold back her laughter.

Her shoulders were practically trembling.

…

This time, so as to avoid being found out, I pretended to adjust my bangs, while secretly giving Senpai a sidelong glance.

He was currently blowing on the food that he had scooped up in order to cool it down.

And then, finally…

"Oh, this is actually really delicious!"

" _Really_!?"

"Whoa!? That was a very sudden reaction!"

 _"Buha-"_

I had reacted so happily the instant Senpai had complimented the food.

And Okaa-san, finally unable to contain her laughter any longer, let it out.

 _Since I was able to see his initial reaction, it should be okay to tell him now, right?_

"To tell the truth… tonight's dinner was… all… made by me!"

"Eh, that is… by 'all', do you mean to say you made the Doria too?"

I nodded my head.

"Seriously…?"

With that, Senpai fell silent.

 _Heeh, is something wrong after all?_

 _…_

 _I'm starting to get anxious…_ _…_

"Uh, was it not to your liking?"

"What? Ah no, that's not it… how should I say… I was surprised at how good it was. To think that your cooking was this delicious. Uh, Isshiki?"

I was unmistakably grinning madly.

 _I'd mentally prepared myself for this moment so that I wouldn't show it on my face, but when it had come to the actual thing, I just couldn't help it!_

"Fufu, Iroha prepared this for you so enthusiastically, you'd better savour it well, Hikigaya-kun!"

"! Okaa-san! Don't say so many unnecessary things!"

"Okay~"

 _Mou, Okaa-san always has something to say…_

"Well, I do envy the boyfriend who'll get to eat this sort of thing on a regular basis…"

" "…" "

 _Senpai, was that intentional?_

 _You're doing this on purpose, right?_

 _You're having a laugh at my expense, aren't you?_

 _No, I'm certain that it's on purpose._

 _It's not funny, you know?_

Okaa-san also gave me an exasperated expression.

…

…

Really, there are some times when I honestly think Senpai is being more sly than me.

* * *

"Thanks for the meal. It was enjoyable."

"Ah, it was no problem."

Un, having this said to me again face-to-face, I was already starting to grin once more.

I looked down so as to hide my facial expression.

"As always, thank you so much for helping Iroha with her studies. I'm sure she's looking forward to next time already."

"No, no, Iroha-san's been exceeding my expectations through her own effort. It's honestly amazing, I didn't even do that much for her."

 _!? Referring to me as 'Iroha-san' all of a sudden, it's very embarrassing…_

"Well, then, please excuse me for today. Sorry for bothering you."

"Take care!"

"G-goodbye…"

…

…

I was grinning uncontrollably, even as he bid farewell and walked off.

* * *

 _ **Someone actually uploaded the end (last ~25 minutes) of Iroha's route a while ago (in Japanese, of course). I bookmarked it to watch later, but it got taken down when I checked again T_T**_

 _ **Though in the end it's probably for the best, at least this way I'll know the chronological story piece-by-piece on one of those play through channels instead of spoiling it for myself.**_

 _ **On the note of the ending to the OVA, to be honest I'm not too sure how to interpret Iroha's expression. At any rate, the OVA adapted volume 10.5, which would mean the events probably occurred between volumes 10 and 11, or alternatively right before episodes 11 and 12 of Zoku.**_

 _ **The ship's still sailing until further notice.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **I'll avoid making a promise I can't keep this time, so...**_

 _ **Ah, whatever. Next chapter in 24 hours.**_

 _ **No, really.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Maybe.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**HA! I managed to finish it before the deadline!**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **It's a bit shorter than last chapter, but here's Chapter 10.**_

 _ **A quick note:**_

 _ **I'm sure you know what "dayone" means (da-yo-ne, not day1). As for seiza... it's a kind of formal way of sitting.**_

* * *

 **[~ Iroha POV ~]**

"Isshiki-san! Please go out with me!"

"I'm sorry."

During the lunch break on Monday, three days after I had cooked Doria for Senpai, I was confessed to by a male classmate.

Though, for the whole of last week, there had been no such thing.

"Reason… please tell me the reason! If there's something wrong with me then please let me know and I'll try my best to…!"

"No, no, in the first place, I don't even really know you that well. Furthermore, I currently don't have any intention of going out with anyone, since I'm busy preparing for exams."

The boy cringed at my tone of voice that was even more detached than usual.

Usually, I'd have properly rejected him with just a simple _"I'm sorry, I'm busy with exams, so I do not wish to go out with anyone at this point in time"._

I'd inadvertently used such a crude rejection this time around.

With a "Then, I'll be leaving", I promptly bowed and left before he could get any more words in.

"Haa…"

While letting out a deep sigh, I moved towards the area that I'd lately started favouring for eating lunch at.

 _Recently, the classroom had become a source of constant annoyance._

* * *

When I arrived, I found Ayane and Haruka waiting for me.

"Iroha, you look really tired today. Are you sure you're doing fine by yourself?"

"That's so true, Iroha! Did something weird happen again?"

During the period I had been receiving multiple confessions, I had enlisted their services in helping keep would-be confessors away.

It doesn't get any easier, rejecting someone. I probably got a bit more depressed every time I had to do it.

I laughed internally.

 _Come to think of it, I wonder just how many times I've 'rejected' Senpai? Though, they weren't really serious rejections, and I don't think he ever took them seriously anyway._

"The opponent was just one person this time, so it's nothing much to worry about, Haruka."

I'm not too sure why, but Haruka appeared to have this burning sense of justice to protect me from unwanted attention.

"Well, if nothing happened then I suppose it's okay… anyway, since Iroha is here, isn't time for our usual ceremony?"

Ayane and Haruka made eye contact, and then said in unison,

" "It's fun time again!" "

 _As always, they're enjoying themselves, huh._

By 'fun time, these two obviously meant that it was once again time to hear about what happened during my most recent tuition session.

Every lunch break following a tuition session, these two would jump at the opportunity to hear the most recent developments from me.

Although I had initially resisted, I had been soon forced to give in, since it was these two after all.

As I've said before… if it was anyone else, there's no way I'd have been this open about it.

" "Then! What happened on Friday?!" "

 _The Haruka who was so devoted to protecting me a short while ago, what happened to her?_

"Well… I… made dinner."

…

 _Their eyes started shining already._

…

"And… Senpai… ate it."

" "Ohh!" "

"Taking steps to capture the stomach first, as expected of Iroha!"

"Then! Senpai's response? What was his response?!"

Haruka was starting to lean forwards in excitement.

"Wai- Haruka, you're getting too close! Senpai's response was… well, un. I guess… he praised my cooking and called it delicious? … Ehehe."

Recalling his words even now still caused me to loosen my cheeks happily.

"…Neeh. Haruka-san?"

"…What is it, Ayane-san?"

 _Eh, is something wrong?_

The two people were now trembling with their heads facing downwards.

I'm somewhat terrified.

"Hey, isn't this girl a little too cute!?"

"Dayo ne! It's too bad for Hikigaya-senpai, but I kind of want to take her for myself!"

"Ehh? What are you two- wait! Haruka! Don't jump on me!"

* * *

 _~A few minutes later~_

" "We're very sorry for our actions." "

The two of them were now apologetically sitting in front of me in the seiza position.

"Honestly… I expected as much from Ayane, but just now, weren't you using the confusion just now to try touch me someplace strange, Haruka?"

"No, that is… I was just trying to commemorate my dear friend taking her first steps onto the stairway to adulthood."

"Iroha-san, this person hasn't fully repented. Please continue her punishment."

"Ayane!?"

Before I knew it, Ayane had gotten up and was now standing next to me, looking down at Haruka while shaking her head.

"Ha… well, that's enough. Just be more careful from now on, okay?"

" "Hai~" "

Ayane usually sports a calm demeanour, but when we're playing around, she kind of feels like a daughter when she lets her true emotions come to the surface.

The unexpected change in attitudes would, if known publicly, almost _certainly_ affect her popularity with the males, for better or for worse.

Haruka, on the other hand… well, she's always like this.

My mind is always at peace when I'm with these two.

Even though I had put up an angry front earlier, I wasn't really angry at all.

Those two had played along, knowing this.

 _Honestly, I truly do have good friends…_

 _…_

As lunch break was about to end, the two of us returned to the classroom.

Hmm… I seem to have forgotten something…

"Ah, actually, come to think of it, there was one more thing. Next time I'm supposed to go over to Senpai's place for the lesson."

" "Let's hear the story in detail." "

"…Class is about to start, we need to hurry up!"

"Ah, Iroha ran away again!"

"We'll definitely get the full story from you afterwards, okay?"

We ran back to the classroom in high spirits.

Silly exchanges like these between friends were really a lot of fun.

Now my primary source of motivation for studying was from Senpai, but before that, I had always been supported by these two.

 _More importantly, for not revealing my embarrassing secrets in public, I really thank the two of you!_

"Hey! You, don't run in the hallway!"

"Ah, it's Hiratsuka-sensei!"

"If it's Hiratsuka-sensei, then if we just sacrifice Iroha I'm sure it'll be alright!"

 _…Huh?_

* * *

"Noo~ I don't want to go to cram school! I want to hear the full story from Iroha!"

"Enough of that, hurry up and get going. You're going to be late you know?"

The station Haruka was going to was in the opposite direction of the school gate, but we were saying our farewells at the school gate anyway.

"Uu… Ayane, I'll have to leave the rest to you…"

"Just go already."

"You need to tell me the details by email, okay! Well then, bye bye!"

Saying that, Haruka rushed off to cram school.

If you were in that much of a hurry, you should have left faster…

"Well then. We should get going too. While I listen to Iroha's full story, of course."

"Of _course_ it'd still happen, huh."

"Wasn't it obvious? Considering that my friend is slowly climbing the stairs to adulthood, and may even truly be an adult by the next time we meet."

"E-eh!? There's no way that'd be the case!"

"…I wasn't really referring to anything in particular, though? Just what did Iroha think I meant, hmm, I wonder~"

"Eh? Ah, no, that is… I mean, I wasn't…"

"Ahahaha, I'm sorry. Lately you've been acting so much like a lovestruck maiden that I just couldn't help but make that teasing remark."

"Mou…!"

Though she continued to tease me in this way, I told Ayane the complete story of how the arrangement to go to Senpai's house had come about.

"Woww. Good job getting that to happen, Iroha. Or, actually, how should I say, if you went that far, surely Hikigaya-senpai should have noticed something by now?"

"Well, about that… I don't know if my past interactions with him are partly to blame… but Senpai is still pretty insensitive to such things."

"If it's like that, then he really goes beyond simply amazement or admiration. If he wasn't the person that you loved so much, I'm sure that I would have stabbed him by now..."

* * *

A few minutes later, I separated from Ayane when we reached the station.

I smiled to myself throughout the entire train journey as I thought about the imminent visit…

* * *

 _ **Next chapter Soon (tm)**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **How soon, you ask?** _

_**Even I don't know.**_


End file.
